n broached again, and the horrible suspense over.

"I can't do anything," he said to himself. "It is like going more and
more against father's orders to warn poor Frank; but what can I do?"

It was the evening of the fourth day, and as Nic was hanging about the
garden outside the fence, listening to Lady O'Hara's cheery voice and
his sister's answers, while the governor and Doctor and Mrs Braydon
were seated in the sunlit verandah, Janet suddenly stood before him.

"Nic," she said in a low voice, and her face was very pale, "you and I
are both sorry for that poor fellow Leather?"

"Yes."

"Lady O'Hara has been telling me that there will be a party of mounted
police here to-morrow on purpose to hunt down escaped convicts."

"So soon?" said Nic excitedly.

"Yes; perhaps sooner. You know where this man is hiding?"

Nic was silent.

"You need not tell me--I feel sure you do. Ought he not to be told, so
that he may escape?"

"Yes," said Nic; "but if I try to warn him I shall be followed, and the
way into his hiding-place found out."

"Janet!"

"Yes."

"Here: Lady O'Hara wants you."

"I must go," whispered Janet hastily. "Pray do something, Nic. It
would be too horrible for that poor fellow to be hunted down."

Janet hurried away.

"Do something, when I cannot stir without feeling that Brookes and these
two men of Sir John's are watching me!"

Then a thought occurred, and the boy lounged leisurely about to where
the dogs were playing, with the blacks looking on; and watching his
opportunity he crept up close to Bungarolo.

"Look here, Bung," he said in a low voice.

The black turned round and stared.

"No, no: look at the dogs," said Nic.

"What for mine look at dogs? White Nic going hit mine in back."

"I'm not going to hit you," said Nic hurriedly.

"Kick mine. This fellow pidney."

"Nonsense! Look here. You know where Leather is."

"No pidney--no pidney."

"I say you do," said Nic sternly. "Now look here. You go to him
to-night and tell him that the white police fellows are coming to hunt
him out. You pidney?"

"Yes, Bungarolo pidney."

"Tell him he is to go right away and hide till the police fellows are
gone."

"Bungarolo pidney. Mine tell Leather fellow jump right away, and police
fellow baal find."

"That's right. Go as soon as it's dark."

"You come along see?"

"No, I won't watch you."

The black nodded, and then laughed at some antics performed by the dogs,